I now raised my head; and steadily confronting his gaze, I answered calmly, 'Mr.Hargrave, do you mean to insult me ?' He was not prepared for this.

He paused a moment to recover the shock; then, drawing himself up and removing his hand from my chair, he answered, with proud sadness,--'That was not my intention.' I just glanced towards the door, with a slight movement of the head, and then returned to my book.

He immediately withdrew.

This was better than if I had answered with more words, and in the passionate spirit to which my first impulse would have prompted.

What a good thing it is to be able to command one's temper! I must labour to cultivate this inestimable quality: God only knows how often I shall need it in this rough, dark road that lies before me.
In the course of the morning I drove over to the Grove with the two ladies, to give Milicent an opportunity for bidding farewell to her mother and sister.